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Disgruntled Majors

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Monday, May 02, 2005

The Mother of All Leaks...

... and I'm not talking about the one from the pipe that burst under my front yard this weekend.

See Michelle Malkin's post regarding leaked information centering around the Giuliana Sgrena incident. The information was published by the Italian media - and potentially poses a serious risk to our service personnel.

Among the items published (from Slashdot):

* An itemization of IEDs and VBIEDs deployment techniques which have been most effective,

* An analysis of the tactical strengths and weaknesses of specific checkpoints along "Route Irish",

* A detailed description of how the checkpoint is laid out,

* Details of how checkpoints are expected to deal with approaching vehicles, including threat assesment methods.

* It names the soldiers involved and details the specific actions taken by those soldiers...

Read more here - The Italian Leak

To leap upon the opportunity to publish these details, to exploit the problem, is just as bad, given the fact that anyone seeing the text should have known the risk posed. Not surprising that the Italian media did just that, but still far past tolerable.

And for the anti-war, anti-troop crowd to doubtless be not-so-secretly pleased by this is even one step beyond publishing the info. I won't name the site that I'm thinking of; if you hang around the milblogs, I'm sure you've seen or heard of it. If you haven't, I'm not going to help anyone get there.

Here's hoping we never make a mistake like this again, and that our troops are always ten steps ahead of the bad guys.

Other blogs to see:
Michelle Malkin - The Italian Leak
BlackFive - The Sgrena Incident Report - Security Leak
Austin Bay - Secret Sgrena Incident Report– Doesn’t Look So Secret
Rhymes with Right - Italian Outrage!
Say Anything - Whose Side are These People On?
Mark My Words - Loose lips - kill people

posted by Pam @ 8:12 PM |

From CNN.com

Playdate for the Pentagon - The Department of Defense invites firms to show off their newest inventions.

U.S. searches for pilots of two missing jets - Two Marine Corps F/A-18's go missing, and may have collided.

posted by Pam @ 8:10 PM |

From CNN comes this editorial by Mark Shields about Company E, 1st Marine Division, their experiences in Iraq in unarmored Humvees, and their company commander's consequences for voicing his opinion.

Where is the outrage?

posted by Pam @ 3:21 PM |

Our Fighting Women

Now, more than ever before, women make up a significant portion of the troops in harm's way. Women have played military roles in the US from its birth, but now women serve in our fighting force in unprecedented numbers.

Approximately 15% of our troops are female, as compared with about 11% in the Gulf War, and 2% between World War II and Vietnam. In 2004, close to 20,000 women were serving in Iraq; 75% of those in the Army.

The 2002 Blue Angels squadron had 6 female Marines, although none were on the demonstration team.

Approximately 10 - 15% of the members of the Thunderbirds team are usually female. In 2003, there were eight females assigned to the Thunderbirds.

And the US Army's Golden Knights parachute team has two female members; one on the Gold Team, and one on the Black Team.

37 of the American heroes killed in Iraq have been female. 5 have been lost in Afghanistan.

A little while ago, Sgt. Esposito emailed me to ask about the possibility of posting more pictures of female soldiers in combat roles on this blog, as she noticed there was a distinct lack of them. I let her know that I'd be happy to, but I didn't often come across photos of female troops in combat roles. She volunteered to send me some, and kept her word. I'm very pleased to post these photos of some of the women of the 143rd MP Company out of Hartford, CT, taken during deployment Iraq from April 2003-April 2004. (And it's a special treat for me, since CT's my home state.)

Thanks to Sgt. Esposito for sending these. I'll be posting more of them later.

And thanks to the women - and men - of the 143rd MP Company for all you do.

SGT Diana Esposito at an LPOP inside a commo tower.

SPC Tania Q. in a sandstorm

SGT Diana Esposito searching Iraqis coming onto the F.O.B.

SPC Tara M. at a police station in Baghdad.

Sgt. Esposito arresting a suspect in the 2003 bombing of the Jordanian Embassy.

SGT Dawn A., 143rd MP Co.

Sgt. Esposito

Links to information about Women in the Military:
US Army Women's Museum
Female Buffalo Soldier
Women in the Military
Women Play an Important Role in the military - from http://www.af.mil
Many Women Served in Vietnam
More Females Paying The Price In Iraq

Female Milbloggers:
A Female Soldier's Story
1000 Words from Iraq
Life in this Girl's Army
Life as a Baghdad Babe

posted by Pam @ 1:32 PM |

At Work In...

The Army...

by Edward Martens
May 3, 2005 - Soldiers from the 155 Brigade Combat Team conduct a raid on an insurgent safe haven in Babil, Iraq.

The Navy...

Gulf of Aden (April 29, 2005) - Sailors aboard the coastal patrol ship USS Firebolt (PC 10) assist survivors rescued from the Gulf of Aden after their small vessel capsized 25 miles off the coast of Somalia. Eighty-nine people survived the incident, with 5 pronounced dead on the scene. U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), coastal patrol ship USS Typhoon (PC 5), and German frigate FGS Karlsruhe (F 212) are also assisting in the rescue efforts. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Robert R. McRill

The Air Force...

Joint effort - OVER THE PERSIAN GULF -- An F/A-18C Hornet receives fuel from an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker during a combat mission here April 20. (U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Don Berry)

The Marines...

CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq - Lance Cpl. Jeffery Quattlebaum, a team leader with 2nd Platoon, K Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2 calls in a radio check before his over watch post here April 6. The Philadelphia native and 2002 University City High School graduate has a tremendous responsibility of guarding Camp Al Qa'im and maintaining security of their forward operating base. Taken by Lance Cpl. Lucian Friel

The Coast Guard...

PORT ARTHUR, Texas (April 28, 2005)--A Coast Guard crew passes the capsized 101-foot crew boat Rene I after it collided with the 784-foot tanker Genmar Strength in the Sabine Channel between the jetties where the channel enters the Gulf of Mexico. Coast Guard crews rescued three of the four men onboard the Rene I and the crew of a Sabine pilot boat rescued the fourth crewmember. All were taken to shore where awaiting EMS personnel transported them to St. Mary's Hospital in Port Arthur. No injuries were reported aboard the Genmar Strength. USCG photograph by Norman Bond

posted by Pam @ 7:22 AM |

EARLY-MORNING RAID — U.S. soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, prepare to enter the home of a suspected insurgent during an early-morning raid in Baghdad, Iraq, April 30, 2005. U.S. Army photo

posted by Pam @ 7:17 AM |

Quote of the Day

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

-- Thomas Jefferson

JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
England to plead guilty in Abu Ghraib case
World gathers to review nuclear treaty
Israeli troops raid West Bank town
S. Korea downplays N. Korea missile test
Iraq car blast at funeral leaves 25 dead

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Frist begins Mideast fact-finding tour
Khamenei: Iran won't abandon nuke program
Sharon: Israel, Turkey to set up hot line
Locals offer insight into Egypt terrorist

The Guardian
Private receives highest military honour
Hassan murder suspects held in Iraq raid

The US News: Iraq News
Iraq car blast at funeral leaves 25 dead
Tape shows Iraq militants holding Australian hostage
Italy to publish dissenting report
Iraqi Insurgents Unleash Deadly Day
New Violence Greets Iraqi Government
Turkish FM calls on Iraqi neighbors to jointly fight terror
UK's Blair Hits Back at Pre-Poll Attacks Over Iraq
Latest Developments in Iraq
Syria to restore relations with Iraq
Men confess to killing aid worker in Iraq
Iraq Expects Foreign Troops to Pull Out Mid-2006
Officials aim to purge Iraqi forces of infiltrators
Iraq Cabinet list is submitted
Fort Carson Gear Costs $7 Million To Ship To Iraq

Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blair Will Win Election Despite Iraq Row -- Poll

Fox News
Two Killed in West Bank Raid
Israeli Minister Resigns in Protest
North Korea Tests Missile
Afghan Blast Kills Two Cops
Pfc. England to Plead Guilty in Abu Ghraib Sex Abuse Case
Baghdad Blasts Kill Six
Car Bomb Targets Iraq Funeral
Arrests in CARE Director's Death
Insurgent Attacks Kill 17 Iraqis, 1 GI
Evidence of Saddam's Deadly Reign
The Iraq War in Retrospect
No Deals With Terrorists
China Denies U.S. Lax Piracy Policy Charge
White House 'Not Surprised' by Test
Gen. Tommy Franks - 'H&C' exclusive

Department of Defense
Italian Officer’s Death 'Tragic Accident' — Story
Troops Rescue Man Forced into Bombing — Story
Iraqi Says Nation Appreciates U.S. Sacrifices — Story
Civic Leaders View Coast Guard Duties — Story

ON THE GROUND
Marine Unit Storms Djiboutian Shores

IN IRAQ
Texas Guard Soldiers Patrol Deadly Grounds
Army Medics Bring Care to Remote Village
Hawaii National Guard Secures Camp Victory

IN AFGHANISTAN
Khost Team Helps Restore Mosque, Shrine
U.S. Army Europe Commander Visits Troops

IN SOUTHWEST ASIA
Deployed Airman Says 'I Do' Via Phone

IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
Task Force Troops Dedicate Kenyan Girls' School
Task Force Helps Renovate Ethiopian Schools

Singers to Salute Troops
WASHINGTON, May 1, 2005 — Singers Keni Thomas, Craig Morgan and Rockie will salute the troops with a musical performance at the Pentagon, May 5. A former U.S. Army ranger, Thomas relates in music his views on the importance of leadership and how one life can make a difference. Keni Thomas "Not Me"

TOP NEWS
IN IRAQ
UAV Nabs Suspects; Soldiers Killed
Bombs Rock Baghdad; Troops Killed
Iraq Daily Update
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps
Weekly Progress Report (pdf)

IN AFGHANISTAN
Airstrike Kills Afghan Civilians
Afghans Treated at U.S. Base
Afghans Majority of Workforce
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Senators Get Intel Update
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
Radio Hosts Visit Iraq, Kuwait
Defense Dept. Honors Wolfowitz
Civic Leaders Visit Parris Island
Photos: Civil Leaders Visit Bases
Civic Leaders Visit Georgia Base
National Guard, Reserve Update

Today in History
1598 - Henry IV signs Treaty of Vervins.
1668 - The Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle ends France's War of Devolution.
1776 - France and Spain agree to donate arms to rebel American colonists fighting the British.
1797 - A British navy mutiny spreads from Spithead to the remainder of the fleet.
1798 - The black General L'ouverture forces British troops to agree to evacuate Santo Domingo. 1808 - Madrid rises up against Napoleon.
1813 - Napoleon defeats Russian and Prussian forces at Grossgorschen.
1863 - Stonewall Jackson batters the Union flank at Chancellorsville.
1865 - President Andrew Johnson offers a $100,000 reward for the capture of Jefferson Davis.
1885 - King Leopold II (Belgium) establishes the Congo Free State.
1890 - The Territory of Oklahoma is created.
1919 - The first US air passenger service begins.
1923 - Lieutenants Kelly and Macready take off from New York on what will be the first successful nonstop transcontinental flight.
1941 - Hostilities break out between British forces and Iraq's pro-German faction.
1942 - Admiral Nimitz, convinced that the Japanese will attack Midway, visits that island to review readiness.
1945 - Russian forces take Berlin after 12 days of fierce fighting.
1968 - The U.S. Army attacks Nhi Ha in South Vietnam, beginning a two-week battle to pry it away from the Communists.
1970 - American and South Vietnamese troops continue their attack in Cambodia - the largest operation in the war since 1967's Operation Junction City.
- At Kent State, student anti-war protesters burn down the campus ROTC building; the National Guard takes control of the campus.

Birthdays
1729 - Czarina Catherine II of Russia.
1837 - Henry Martyn Roberts, parlimentarian and creator of Robert's Rules of Order.
Manfred von Richthofen - "the Red Baron" - German WWI fighter ace.

posted by Pam @ 6:41 AM |

Iraq War Today is...
...News and photos of Heroes deployed to the Middle East and elsewhere. IWT is dedicated to all of our military Heroes - past, present and future.